Hey guys, Capture the Flag is here! Things are starting to kick off.

Behold, the longest chapter I've written to date.

CHAPTER 13: FLAME. VENOM. CHIMERA.

"I can't believe we're up against the Ares cabin. Those guys are maniacs."

"Hey, we have the Athena guys on our side. We'll be fine."

"Oh yeah? What about Jason? That dude's a literal powerhouse. Explain to me how wisdom stops me from getting struck by lightning. And they have Leo too… it's gonna be a long day."

"Not to worry, gents." Flip stepped out, arms crossed as he leaned against a nearby tree. "We are officially relieving you of duty."

The two unknowing blue helmeted campers drew their swords in surprise.

"AMBU–"

His announcement was cut short as I ran in from the side, slamming my shield across his face and knocking the poor guy cold. "Yes, very astute."

"Oh crap." The last remaining camper, after weighing his options, decided the best plan of action would be to run. However, even though that was definitely the smartest thing he could have done, it didn't stop him from running face first into the fist-ball of meat known as Sherman Yang.

My half-brother shook his wrist, as he looked down at the peacefully unconscious demigod. "Jeez, he fell funny."

Emerging out of one of the bushes to the right was the blonde-haired Will Solace who knelt down to quickly check on the two opponents we had just, as Flip would put it, 'relieved of duty'.

After spending a couple seconds inspecting the two, Will let out a sigh. "You need to tone it down a bit, Yang."

"I knocked him out, just like Arthur did," replied Sherman in his defence

"Yeah but for some reason your fist did more damage than Arthur's shield."

Sherman dusted off his shoulder with pride. "Not my fault I'm an absolute tank."

I couldn't help but laugh. Meanwhile, Flip went over to further inspect the bodies.

We were in the middle of the game of Capture the Flag. The two teams set up their flags in accordance with the border line. Our team, the red team, placed our flag in a neat little spot with enough shrubbery and rocks to create a mini choke-point. That way there was only one clear way to our flag and that's if they could find it. I also imagined the Hephaestus cabin did their best with whatever gadgets and gizmos they brought to the game. Two campers were left to guard our flag whilst the rest of us split into groups to go look for the enemies'. I was grouped up with Flip, Sherman and Will. During our planning phase, our team decided to come up with 'call and response' code words as a way to identify each other if it was ever necessary and things got confusing.

The phrase was simple; when the first person calls out "Flame", the response from the second should be "Venom". Then to establish the response was recognised, the first person replies with "Chimera". This idea was particularly encouraged by my cabin as they got this idea from the common military method of the countersign to distinguish friend from foe. Needless to say, the others were pretty impressed. Despite what everyone else thought about us, they couldn't deny we were handy in a fight.

The four of us continued moving. It was weird being in the forest during the day and with this many people. My only experience so far had been that night I met Flip and the Myrmekes. The atmosphere was definitely different but that feeling of mystery and the unexpected still lingered. Sure, I could see a lot better thanks to the daylight but it wouldn't stop any form of monster or creature jumping out from one of the bushes. None of us had any idea where the other team could have possibly placed their flag but apparently Flip had a plan for that.

We heard the distant scuffles of swords and shields clashing as we made our way through the forest. Somehow, we were able to get to the creek with minimal resistance but we doubted it would be easy sailing from there. As we peeked from behind the tree line, a group of four from the blue team stood watch along the border, two of which had their bows. It would be impossible to sneak past unseen. Plus, they had the advantage since we would be the ones to have to cross the water whilst getting pelted with arrows. These were all things that we considered as we tried to come up with a way across the creek. Naturally, Flip had a plan for that as well.

"Sherman," Flip said, "how good is your throwing arm?"

"The best."

"Awesome." Then he turned to me. "Arthur, give him your spear."

"Why my spear?" I retaliated.

"Just do it," Flip said, as he took off his helmet.

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

"You always ask that," Flip replied.

"Well, what if it doesn't?"

"Then, we'll just wing it."

"That's what you said to the others as well. I thought you actually had a back-up plan."

"Not if the first plan is just that good."

My confidence started to deteriorate

The two of us strolled our way out from the treeline and in full sight of the creek. I no longer had my spear with me and I had dismissed my shield. Flip on the other hand had aesthetically switched teams, donning the helmet with the blue marking rather than the red. He stood slightly behind me as he softly ushered me forward with a sword, another item he borrowed from the opposing team. Almost instantly the four standing guards on the other side immediately jumped, swords and bows drawn. I surrendered my hands to the air whilst Flip continued to casually push me forward through the near waist-deep water of the stream.

"I have a prisoner!" Flip shouted to the rest of them.

I could see all four of them exchange hesitant looks.

Flip pressed on. "Don't worry, he's disarmed. Thought we'd go ahead and put him in the jail."

We were halfway through the creek now.

I wasn't a fan of my lower-half getting absolutely drenched but what else can you do?

Occasionally, I would glance back at the tree line behind us only to see no one there.

"Hey!" one of them yelled back. "Stay where you are!"

Flip didn't stop. "Oh, come on, guys. You're really gonna make me stand here in the middle of the creek?"

"We don't have any need for a prisoner!" another one called out.

"Well you try subduing him," Flip replied. "Or do you want me to just kill him instead? Sorry, but I don't fancy the idea of losing dessert for a week."

We were almost on the other side now… just a little more.

One of them was about to speak again until Flip quickly cut them off. "He could also tell us where the flag is. I'm sure Annabeth would appreciate that kind of information."

The four demigods lowered their weapons slightly, but were still on high alert. I could start to feel the water level getting lower as we inched closer and closer.

The one in front pointed her sword. "Just hold on a second, I don't recognise y–"

"Alright, if it makes you more comfortable," Flip tossed his sword to the side.

Flip and I trudged our way out of the water, safely onto the other side. The four watched us as Flip grabbed my arm and wrestled me towards them. It took them a bit, but eventually they sheathed their weapons and stared at me with smiles on their faces.

"Here you go," Flip said, "one fresh prisoner."

All four of them just snickered.

"And I gotta say guys…" Flip took his helmet off, as I watched the grins on their faces quickly fade away, "...we really appreciate you letting us cross."

The girl in front drew her sword. "Flip you son of a–"

Before she could finish her sentence, Flip dashed straight for one of the demigod archers as they drew their bow. He unsheathed the hidden dagger behind his back as he manoeuvred his blade to slice the archer's wrist forcing them to drop the bow. The girl in front went straight for me, along with the other swordsman but both were stopped in their tracks when a near 7-foot long spear struck itself in the ground in front of me. The second archer, who was the farthest away, immediately drew his bow. Reactively, I summoned my shield but before he could fire, an arrow flew in from the side and pierced his shoulder causing him to scream in pain. In shock, the four of them turned to where the spear and arrow came from only to be greeted by the terrifying image of Sherman barreling through the water as Will drew another arrow from his quiver. To them; it all happened so quickly. For us; it was all part of the plan.

I pulled my spear out of the ground. "Surprise."

The two archers went for Flip whilst the swordsmen went for me. They tried their best to tag me but I kept up a pretty mean barrier. Whenever they struck, I would board up with my shield and then the moment they slowed down I thrusted with my spear, pushing them back. D helped me with the timing. I stabbed one in the foot with one of my outward thrusts, then I proceeded to kick them in the chest which caused them to knock into the other. The limping demigod tried to get back up but I swung my spear, using its longevity to sweep them on their back. The other girl recovered and charged me but was suddenly stopped by Sherman, completely drenched, at swordpoint. There was no way she could take the two of us. I looked over to check on Flip and he seemed to have made quick work of the archers. The first lay prone whilst he clutched his bleeding arm as Flip planted his foot on his chest. The second attempted to get on two feet but I noticed that the back of his left knee had been sliced, leaving him practically immobile. Also, can't forget the arrow coming out of his shoulder.

"That was a dirty move, Flip," he scowled.

Flip just sheathed the dagger behind his back. "No rules in a fight, Dylan."

The four had no choice but to surrender and it wasn't long before Will made his way across the creek. We disarmed them of all weapons and lined them up for Flip's questioning.

The son of Tyche, cleared his throat. "Okay, let's keep this simple, just tell us where the fl–"

"YEAH TELL US OR WE'RE GONNA RIP YOU'RE GODDAMN HEADS OFF!"

"Woah, woah, no, what are you doing?" Flip shot Sherman a look. "I'm the one that talks, we said that I'd do the talking, alright?"

Sherman looked like he was about to say something back but Will just gently put a hand on his shoulder with a reassuring nod. That seemed to have made him stop.

Flip cleared his throat, again. "Okay, where's the flag?"

The three of them didn't respond but the girl, who seemed like the leader of the bunch, spoke up. "Do you seriously think we're just going to tell you?"

"Why not? We got you guys beat already."

"Exactly," she replied, "you've already beat us and there's nothing else you can do."

The girl smiled. She had a point, we had them disarmed but there really was nothing we could do in terms of interrogating them further.

Rules are rules… though I still think it's wild how the punishment for killing is loss of dessert… like, that's it?

For a moment, Flip had no words and it seemed like he had been beaten.

Just then, one of them slowly tried to get up but Sherman immediately punched him out cold.

"HEY!" Dylan screamed.

Sherman screamed right back followed by laughter.

Flip was in disbelief. "Sherman… What are you doing!?"

"I was just wingin' it like you said," he replied so innocently.

"No! That's now what I–"

I looked to our 'great planner' who stood there in utter confusion before running his palms down his face, groaning in frustration.

"Honestly, Arthur," Flip pulled me aside, "whose idea was it to bring Sherman into this group?"

I answered honestly, "mine."

Flip slapped me on the face, which legitimately stunned me for a second.

"Yours? Are you insane!?" Flip sighed as he took a couple of deep breaths trying to compose himself.

Feeling like the interrogation idea was a bit of a lost cause; Will, Sherman and I were ready to leave until Flip apparently had one more trick up his sleeve…

Flip walked up to the girl. "You're Gwen, right? Daughter of Aphrodite?"

The girl raised her eyebrow. "Yeah? So what?"

"Thought so," Flip smirked. "They don't make them as pretty anywhere else."

Oh, you've gotta be kidding me.

There's no way this is going to work, I thought. Then Gwen started to grow a little red.

"Pfft, jesus…" she looked away.

Flip kept going. "I mean, I'm just saying, you should've fought without your helmet cause then I would be way too distracted to fight."

Gwen continued looking away.

"Is this your first interrogation?" Flip asked, leaning in closer. "You scared?... kind of excited too?"

Sherman quietly squealed in physical pain to the side as Will just face-palmed.

I just wanted to leave already.

It took a moment, and a little more egging on from Flip, then slowly but surely a soft smile started to creep on Gwen's already flustered complexion.

"Oh! Wait, hey! There's that smile."

"Asshole," Gwen replied with one of those flirtatious punches to the shoulder. She was smiling a hell of a lot more now.

The three of us, plus the others just watched this whole thing unfold as we struggled to hide our cringing faces.

"I… have no words," D said in pure astonishment.

"Nope," I replied.

Funny, because we just collectively said five.

The two started having their own little conversation that went on for a minute or so with various giggling and light-hearted teasing. Meanwhile, we kept guard on our 'captives' to make sure they didn't make any funny moves. Though, it felt like our situation was no different to theirs in having to listen to this torment.

Finally the… whatever you want to call it stopped as Flip simply said to us, "Okay, we can go."

The three of us looked at each other with one collective sigh of relief.

"You're still an asshole," Gwen said.

"The best kind," Flip replied, giving her a wink.

At that point, we wasted no time in just getting the hell out of there and wanting to forget about what just happened. We left the four conscious and alive but injured and without their weapons. They'd have to run into Chiron if they wanted to get back into fighting condition. Our group, feeling a mix of victory and defeat ran into the enemy territory.

"What did she tell you?" Will asked, with a slight hesitancy.

Flip chuckled. "What do you wanna know?"

"The flag!" all three of us yelled in unison.

"Alright, alright! It was just a joke…" Flip said. "I couldn't get an exact location out of her, but she gave me the general area."

I was in disbelief. "Was all that part of your plan?"

"I had to improvise," he remarked.

"Is that what you call it?"

"It's all about charm and a little luck, slick. Thankfully, I've got both. Now, let's hurry up and win this game… I've got a date after this."

Again, we surprisingly didn't run into too many of the blue team as we thought we would. We still heard the remnants of battles ensuing around us. At first, it didn't bother us as none were close enough to pose a genuine danger. Then as we walked deeper into blue territory, silence quickly took over the atmosphere which was honestly more threatening than comforting.

"I don't like it." Sherman slowly drew his sword. "We should've ran into somebody by now."

"That's a good thing, right?" Will reached for his quiver.

"No." Sherman grimaced. "Chase wouldn't have left this place so unguarded, especially if we're getting closer to the flag."

"It shouldn't be farther now," Flip added, "Gwen said it'd be near Zeus' Fist."

"You ever considered that she might be lying?" Sherman questioned.

"To this face? Please."

Whilst this conversation was happening, my eyes did a full 360 scanning every bush, tree and leaf that entered my vision. I was in agreement with Sherman; the silence probably wasn't a good sign. I could sense D's similar alertness as the pendant hummed like a heartbeat. Just because we can't see anybody, doesn't mean they can't see us.

"We're being watched," D whispered.

I continued walking with the group, but my attention was still to the environment around us. Mom taught me how to stay hyperaware; to keep my head on a swivel. I listened, and waited for the slightest change in the soundscape. She said that the subtlest changes give away the biggest hints. The blowing of the wind, the interactions of the wildlife, the disturbance of the shrubbery. They all contributed to something.

*snap*

My ears shot up. Immediately I turned to where I had heard the sound. I headed over to a nearby clump of bushes that sprouted a large tree at its centre. I drew my spear and rested it on my shield as I inched forward. Whatever was about to jump out at me, I was ready for it. I heard more rustling as the grip on my spear got tighter. I prepared for the worst until I heard…

"Flame."

I hesitated. It was unexpected. Then I replied with the appropriate word. "Venom."

"Chimera," a voice replied.

A quick release of breath occurred as I saw the familiar markings of the Red Team. I was met with the faces of Jake and Clarisse. The Ares head counsellor walked out to greet me with a heavy hand, whilst Jake seemed to signal others that the coast was clear. Three more figures walked out; one was a girl who I think was Miranda, and the other two were boys. The first person was Austin from the Apollo cabin, but the second was the unmistakable stern-faced son of Hephaestus with a mountain of a figure; Emile Forrester.

He looked even more imposing in his greek breastplate. The entirety of his right arm was still bandaged but sat underneath a crude leather armguard, accompanied by a shoulder pad, practically protecting the whole arm besides the hand that was kept bare. He carried with him a crossbow like nothing I had ever seen before. My Ares senses kicked in when inspecting the weapon in his hands. It was a fairly large contraption, definitely only a select kind of people could carry. The wooden stock of the crossbow appeared to be extendable, with various markings and contained some padding on the butt which, I assume, was so you can comfortably rest your cheek when aiming. The bow itself was plated with a thin layer of celestial bronze on the front. It had a unique combination of a modern and ancient style structure, with a rudimentary sight that was open to all sorts of attachments. What was strange was that it looked impractical, yet in his hands it was a perfect custom fit.

I knew being a child of Hephaestus meant you were good at making things but this was just impressive.

He had a small pouch around his waist with a quiver of crossbow bolts at his side. This was also the first time I was able to get a good look at his face, and it wasn't what I was expecting. His jaw gave him his chiselled look but despite his constant seriousness there was a softness to it. Even with his stature, he was still just another wayward teenager, just like the rest of us. It was the expression in his eyes that gave it away. It's like he was a totally different person.

Nevertheless, when his eyes met mine, they felt like daggers. The both of us had a similar reaction in seeing each other; the slight surprise followed by an immediate distaste. I wasn't sure how I felt about him yet, let alone how he feels about me, so I wasn't really looking forward to how this would turn out. However, he just walked right past me, as if I wasn't even there - again, not sure how to feel about that.

"I see you guys made it," Will said as the two groups merged.

"Surprised you managed to get here first," Clarisse replied.

"Well, we had far less competition than expected."

Jake rolled his shoulders a few times. "Then we have had a very different game compared to you guys."

"Lucky," Sherman sulked.

Flip stepped forward amidst the conversation. "We did manage to figure out where the enemy flag is. We have reason to believe it's somewhere near Zeus' fist."

"How'd you–"

"Don't ask," I quickly cut in, before the subject could be explored any further.

"Let's not waste any time then," Jake said. "There's enough of us here."

"How are the others?" said Will.

"Jason and the Valdez kid are holding down our side of the forest," answered Clarisse.

"And we think Lou's group was the first to cross the creek but we haven't seen her yet," added Miranda.

"I agree with Jake," said Sherman, "we could take the flag."

It wasn't long until we reached a unanimous decision and before I knew it, all nine of us started making our way towards Zeus' fist. We were a much larger group now meaning we were much easier to spot. Nevertheless, we all moved as quickly yet as quietly as we could. Again, it was just pure silence. We were all starting to feel it now, that creeping tension. That itch in the back of your neck you couldn't get rid of no matter how much you scratch it. We were expecting that instant jump into action, that one cry that would spark us all into battle but nothing. That feeling irked at me the most. I was ready to unload all that energy, to get into that flow state, and I had a feeling it was the same for Clarisse and Sherman. And yet, we arrived at Zeus' fist with no interference.

It was a small clearing in the forest with a large pile of rocks at its centre. Supposedly, the rocks were meant to be in the shape of a fist but it looked more like a pile of poop. All of us looked at the glorious pile only to find no one, and no flag, in sight.

Clarisse slowly turned to Flip. "Well I don't see a flag. Do you?"

"Hey, I said it was near the fist not on it," Flip responded.

"That place is cursed, anyways," Jake stated. "I doubt anyone wants to place their flag there anymore."

"So what do we do?" Miranda asked. "Just look around?"

As our group dispersed into conversation, I kept an eye on the treelines surrounding the clearing. In the distance, I thought I saw a glint of armour and as I looked harder, I saw the figure of another armoured demigod. They were looking straight at us and soon started gesturing to follow them. They were too far away for me to make out any distinct colours and they didn't stay long enough for me to figure it out.

"Guys, I think someone saw us," I relayed to the group.

"One of us?" Will asked.

"I don't know, I couldn't tell," I replied, "but they wanted us to follow them."

"It could be Lou and her group, maybe they found the flag."

"Or, it could be a trap."

"Sounds like a 50/50 to me," Flip said as he effortlessly rolled his coin between his fingers.

"Only one way to find out." Clarisse already started to move with Sherman following close behind.

Half of me felt like we should be a bit more cautious walking into something we were uncertain about and the other half was looking forward to a bit of scrap. Either way, there was no time to come up with an allusive plan. I made my choice and followed my siblings, beckoning to the rest who, with hesitant looks on their faces, joined in. We passed Zeus' fist and walked towards the other side of the clearing where I saw the figure. Some of us expressed their timidness in this abrupt endeavour but all hints of doubts and second-guessing diminished as soon as we heard the noise we've all been waiting to hear. The sounds of a clash.

All of us broke into a sprint without saying a word. I paid subtle attention to Emile, to see what he was doing during all of this. And still, the boy stayed silent, looking focused and more intense. He also still seemed to be paying no attention to me either which I couldn't tell if that was a good sign or not. We all rushed in the direction of the battle, the sounds of yelling and clanging of metal getting closer and closer. My heart rate was increasing but I kept a constant rhythm in my breathing in preparation for the coming battle.

However, before we could even get there, the chaos died down extremely quickly which only made us speed up even more. As we barrelled through a cluster of shrubbery, we were met with what looked to be the remnants of a skirmish. The dirt was clearly disturbed with various footprints and a couple weapons were strewn across the floor. There was a quick scurrying of footsteps in the vicinity of the action but that quickly disappeared too.

Disappointment grew as we suspected to have just missed it until, limping from behind a tree, was a girl from the Red team. We all started to huddle around her, creating a perimeter as Will rushed to heal her. There were various cuts all across her body, nothing too severe but enough to incapacitate her from a fight.

Will began bandaging some of the deeper cuts on her arms. "Lou, what happened?"

Lou leaned up against the tree as she gritted her teeth through the pain. "We were looking for the flag… then that Hermes girl ran up on us."

"Who else was with you?" Clarisse questioned.

"It was just me, Kayla and Jack," she answered. "There were more of us, but we were the only ones that made it cross the border."

"Do you know where they went?"

"They chased after her–" she grunted as Will tied off one of the bandages. "Son of a bitch was like a blur… disarmed me before I could react. The three of us could barely land a hit."

Flip and I exchanged a look.

"You guys wouldn't happen to know where the flag is would ya?" Lou looked at us.

"Sadly no," Jake told her, "but we think it's close by."

"I reckon our best bet is to follow that girl," she said, pointing in the direction the other two chased after her.

Will looked at her then back at us "You guys go on ahead, I think it's best if I stay with Lou for a bit."

The girl shook her head, "Don't, I'll be fine. I just need a moment to catch my breath."

She muttered something under her breath and soon mystical swirls started to flow around her until multiple sets of bandages, similar to Will's, wrapped around all the cuts on her body. Then, with the snap of her fingers, a sword levitated off the ground and placed itself within the palm of her hand.

"Go."

We weren't going to make her say it again.

Clarisse led the charge as we followed the last whereabouts of Kayla and Jack. I kept my ears open for any more signs of a scuffle. I think we all heard a moment of a struggle up ahead but again it vanished just as quickly and we were surrounded by dead silence once more. The leaves rustled as the wind brushed through them as light shined through the canopy like a stained glass window. We stopped for a moment. It was hard to get a bearing on where things were, since everything around us was pretty much dirt and trees.

"Over here," a distant voice whispered.

"I know that voice." Austin perked up. "It's Kayla."

Will began to move forward, until Clarisse stopped him.

"Wait." She held her arm out. "Flame."

The voice of Kayla whispered back, "Venom."

All of us, upon hearing the phrase, relaxed a little bit. Good to know that others members of the Red team made it as well. Though, if the majority of us were here, then chances are most of the blue team is in our territory as well. We had to move quickly if we wanted to beat the other team in returning the flag. We moved to meet up with Kayla and Jack, entering into a slight clearing that was surrounded by hedge-like bushes. But Kayla and Jack were still nowhere to be seen.

"This is a terrible position," the spartan in my head advised.

No kidding, perfect place for an ambu–

"Flame," Kayla called out, cutting off my thought process.

"Venom," Will responded.

But whoever came out of the bushes directly in front of us, was neither Kayla or Jack. Our eyes widened as we grasped our weapons. A girl stepped out with a dagger by her side as blonde hair spilled out from the neck of the helmet. The grey eyes of Annabeth Chase pierced through the dark holes of the helmet, looking unphased as she stared down nine demigods.

"What was that last part supposed to be again?" Annabeth tapped her finger on her lip. "Oh right… Chimera."

Suddenly, a wave of demigods descended upon us from every direction. They bursted out of the shrubbery surrounding us, spears and swords in hand as they cried out towards us.

Flip caught his coin in mid-air, as he pulled the dagger from its scabbard. "Here we go."

The fight was on.

After having a fairly orderly game, it was now just complete chaos. Seven of us charged out from the centre whilst Will and Emile provided range support. I saw one manage to get close to Emile, and like a magic trick, a short blade protruded from the tip of Emile's crossbow, deflecting the blow. He shoved the attacker to the side with ease as he loaded another bolt with incredible strength and speed, launching it into the shoulder of another charging demigod with enough force to knock him to the ground. Meanwhile, the rest of us went on the offensive. Clarisse went straight for Annabeth as Sherman, quite literally, jumped onto a group of three demigods. I ran and lunged with my spear at the first enemy I saw. With one powerful thrust as I jumped, I squared a demigod right on their shield with so much force that it caused them to stagger backwards. I kept the pressure up, moving my feet forward almost like a dance as I pierced their shield and armour from all different angles. At one point, they lost their footing and tripped on the root of a tree as their weapon fell out of their hand.

"Ease up a bit, Arthur!" the demigod on the ground said. It was Mitchell from the Aphrodite cabin.

"Better luck next time, Mitch."

D couldn't help but chuckle.

Another one came up from behind, who managed to get a hit square on my back with a spear of their own but thankfully it glanced off my armour. The next time she hit I was prepared, bracing my shield for the blow. Waiting for the next thrust, I purposefully weakened the strength of my block. As she thrusted forward with both hands, the tip grazed my shield as I stepped to the side, sliding up the spear and directing it off-centre as I closed the distance between me and my opponent. Once close enough, I slammed my helmet against hers with a mean headbutt. The metal rang through my ears. It hurt but not as much for me as it did for her. In a daze, she dropped the spear in her hands as she fell backwards.

"A bit too unorthodox for my liking but I suppose it works," D said.

"Mum always did say I was hardheaded."

I quickly scanned the area to see how everyone else was doing. We held our own but we were still outnumbered. It wouldn't be long before we were completely overwhelmed.

We shouldn't be so spread out like this, we should huddle up in the center and form a–

The words in my head were interrupted as my eyesight caught a dagger flying straight towards me. Thankfully, my shield caught it too. The blade bounced off the tough hide of the shield and as I looked to see who the thrower was, I found myself standing face to face with the Hermes girl herself; Valerie Aldara.

"Fancy seeing you here," the girl smiled.

I readied myself. "So… Lou, Kayla, Jack… that was you?"

The smile on her face didn't change. "What can I say? I'm good, Arthur. I am very good."

She took the scabbard of her weapon, thrusting it upwards as the blade popped out seamlessly as she grabbed the hilt in one smooth motion. She fully unsheathed the sword and I was met with an elegant blade. The hilt had a sweeping design that protected the hand as the blade itself extended to a thin, razor sharp point; almost like a needle. Very different to the usual double-edged greek design. The weapon that Val held in her hands was a celestial bronze Rapier. It was a graceful weapon and she handled it as such.

Damn, since when did I become such a weapon's nerd.

I readied my spear and shield. "All it takes is a few seconds, huh?"

She got into a duelling stance. "Well, Arthur, you seem a decent fellow, I hate to kill you."

"Hold on, you know you can't actually kill me right?"

"No, it's just a– nevermind."

She made the first move, coming in from all directions. Usually, in a normal match up of spear and shield versus a rapier; the spear and shield would most likely win. However, this wasn't a normal matchup and the one denominating factor is Val's near inhuman speed. Sure, my defence was incredibly strong against her attacks but she attacked so swiftly and with so much speed that it barely gave me enough time to counteract. I don't think she'd be able to endure even one solid hit from me and I believe she knew that... so she just decided to evade every single attack.

Then, she would attack from one direction, then attack from the opposite direction in a split-second. It was almost like trying to swat a fly. I recklessly tried to go for one hit when I thought I saw an opening but rightfully received a quick slice on the arm. The only thing I could push her back with was the shield. I predicted her positioning at one point and swung a wild arch with my shield, causing her to lose balance a little. Using the distance, I thrust forward with my spear but she just barely parried it and from that managed to find a gap in my defence. She would've given me a nasty cut on the cheek if I didn't move in time.

This back and forth continued, neither one of us being able to land a single solid hit. On one hand; she didn't seem to be slowing down but on the other; my defence stayed up at a consistent 100. If I was the tortoise, then she was the hare. Meanwhile, Dienekes was enjoying every second of it.

"Need a break?" I said, almost trying to mock her.

She spit a wad of built-up saliva out her mouth. "No, do you?"

"VALERIE!" a voice called out.

The both of us turned to see Flip walking through a whole warzone to meet us. An arrow whizzed past his face, missing it by half an inch but he didn't even flinch. He picked up a sword that just so happened to fall right at his feet.

"Ah, Mr Ganzorig," Val scoffed.

"Did you forget our bet?" He pointed the sword at Val.

At that moment, Val seemed to have lost all interest in fighting me and turned to face Flip with her rapier. "What do you think?"

"Thanks, for all the help Arthur but I'll take it from here," said Flip, not breaking eye contact with his rival.

"Uh, you sure?" I asked, having experienced fighting Val firsthand.

I watched as Flip, once again, took out that silver coin and rubbed it between his thumb and index.

Val had a nasty grin on her face. "Don't worry, Arthur, this'll be quick."

I lowered my shield a little and thought it best to leave these two to have at it. "Just don't actually kill each other… please."

The both of them continued to lock eyes, circling each other like two lions.

"You're not gonna hurt me are you, Ganzorig?" Val said playfully.

A spark lit up in Flip's eyes. "Only a little."

Just like that, Flip and Val engaged in what seemed to be like a long awaited duel. It was at this time that the battle had gotten more hectic. There was another warcry as more demigods had jumped in to join the fray. This time it was reinforcements from the Red team as Jason and Leo, along with a couple fellow Ares members came to even the odds.

Wait, if they're here, then who's still left to defend our territory?

Soon another group of demigods from the blue team came charging out of nowhere. What was once a skirmish now turned into a battlefield. I gazed upon the conflict around me. Everything started to move in slow-motion. Sparks flew as blades crashed into each other. Dirt got tossed everywhere as plated boots struck the ground. The battlecries of the demigods started to mesh together like the beating of a drum. It felt like a switch flipped inside of me, all of a sudden I was feeling the adrenaline again. My senses honed in on the surrounding mayhem. It started to sound like music to my ears. The longing for carnage creeped into my mind.

"Easy, Arthur Pride," D warned me, "a spartan may lust for combat but must have control."

His voice had become an anchor, managing to cut through all the noise and bring me back a little. I was able to hear my breathing. My senses were still on fire, but I focused on directing them rather than letting them loose. It felt similar to how I would manage my anger. I tried not to forget everything Mom taught me to be – 'Phalanx, Shield Wall, Keep Rank' – I used those memories like a piece of armour as it contained my inner temptation to go absolutely ballistic. As I gradually paced myself mentally, I started to decide on my next move. Each team in this moment seemed focused on defeating the other.

Maybe I should focus on getting that flag.

Once I started moving my feet again, a member of the blue team appeared in front of me. I braced myself, expecting another confrontation. My spear was poised and shield ready. He started to move towards me and I started to advance. I was just about to go for the first strike before I noticed something strange about this opponent. He held his sword outward but his hand was trembling, so much that he had to use the other hand to steady himself. As I got closer, I could hear him muttering to himself. I couldn't see much but it wasn't difficult to tell that there was a mask of terror on his face. I realised that he wasn't focusing on me but rather his eyes were darting in all directions. He looked like he was in genuine shock. I know I'm new to these Capture the Flag games but this didn't seem like a normal reaction. I decided to move even closer, still cautious.

"Hey, dude, you alright?" I asked him.

Immediately he snapped at me. His breath was shaky, struggling to form the words. "G-g-get away f–from me! I- I- can't do this…"

"Look it's just a game, I'm not gonna–"

"No!" he screeched, almost sounding like he was on the verge of tears. "I said get away from me!"

He bolted, dropping the sword on the ground and running back into the cluster of trees. I chased after him, leaving my team and the fight behind me. I didn't make the decision lightly but something wasn't right with this guy and nobody else had noticed but me.

I ran a considerable distance as the noises of the battle died down as I followed the fleeing demigod. The trees and bushes wooshed past me as I kept up my pursuit. For a moment, I lost sight of him and stopped. I thought I lost him for good until I heard a faint sound coming from behind a tree. As I inched my way towards it, I soon discovered what that sound was. It was the soft sobbing of a lone demigod as he curled up into a ball. It looked like he had tossed his helmet to the side and was grabbing at his head like he was experiencing the most severe migraine.

The forest became still as a breeze brushed my ears. The only audible sound was the quiet sobbing. Being this far away from the battlefield, it felt like my whole head was dunked into a bucket of ice. I gave my surroundings one final look just to make sure if it was safe and then I approached the crying boy. I dismissed my shield and held my spear to the side just so I wouldn't accidentally frighten him again.

Again, he continued to mutter to himself.

"Hey," I said softly.

He didn't really seem to take notice, like he was trapped inside whatever was going through his mind. I knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. It didn't seem to make much of a difference.

"Are you okay?"

"I can't do this," he repeated to himself. "Not again, please, not again. So much blood, so much death. Why… Why!? I– I- I killed them..."

"Killed who?"

"Manhattan. It's all coming back… oh gods… it's all coming back! SCREW ALL OF THIS. PLEASE, I JUST WANT TO GO HOME. I just want to see my dad again… please…"

The voice of Dienekes was shocked. "I have seen this type of affliction on soldiers; warriors who've trained their whole lives for war... but this is only a child."

It was starting to get worse. I didn't know what to do. I tried to console him, make him feel better but it didn't change anything. He just kept repeating the same things, like a broken record. It was almost like he was in a trance. This was all too strange. It's the nightmares… it has to be.

I need to get Chiron.

I left my spear with him, just in case he needed it as I began moving as fast as I could. This didn't feel like a game anymore. The only problem was that I had no idea where Chiron was. As combat medic and referee he probably situated himself next to the big battle that was taking place.

Hades, even Will would be a great help.

I ran to what I vaguely remember was the way back to the battle. I would know if I was starting to get close. I tried shouting Chiron's name as loud as I could hoping he could hear me wherever he was. I keep forgetting how big this forest was. It was so easy to get lost here.

After a few minutes of non-stop sprinting, I paused for a moment to catch my breath. The forest was still silent. The only thing that dominated my hearing was the sound of my breath, heaving in and out of my lungs. Then, I heard the far off echo of a battle. I started to move towards it until I heard something unexpected. I know I should be finding Chiron as quickly as possible right now but so far in this game, sound was everything.

I had heard leaves rustling, wind howling, birds chirping, water running, sword's clanging but this was the first time I heard a gentle humming. There was nothing else that filled the space other than the soft tune playing quietly among the breeze. My heartbeat started to accelerate, this eerie noise was making me extremely uneasy. I tried using our code words, "Flame", but the tune continued. The humming soon smoothly transitioned into a song. I felt my skin nearly jump off my body. It was in a language that seemed foreign at first but I was able to understand every word.

'Together in arms, together we sing

Bound by strength and bound by spirit

Sweet is your face, bold is your will

A dream I wish to never be free

Time shall rise or time shall fall

Our song will never end.'

For some reason, my mind began to soften as I couldn't help but succumb to the music as I slowly made my way to its source. It was… a beautiful piece. The emotion it instilled was captivating. The voice that accompanied; moreso. It belonged to a figure, their back towards me as they sat peacefully on a log. Their hair was a rush of black streaming down, just past their shoulders, with strands of hair braided in various places. What was most unique was the armour. It was similar to the usual greek armour but painted a dark ash with faint signs of gold lining along the edges. It was much older and battle-worn, with bits and pieces welded together. Draped on one shoulder was a similarly dark cloak that hung just above the mid back with its torn edges. The helmet was placed delicately on the side with a similar colour scheme and a pitch black plume of hair going down the centre of it's skull like a mohawk.

The figure seemed to take no real notice of me, and continued singing to himself whilst tending to the spear in his hands. He finished the final line of the song before falling completely still.

"Are you lost?" the voice spoke which made me freeze.

It was smooth and delicate. Each syllable was spoken with precision. It explained the grace in his singing. The accent wasn't something I was familiar with. Its tone carried a different level of sophistication and fluency. It wasn't your standard 'american', that's for sure.

"Did you not hear me?" He asked, still keeping it in a polite manner and not once turning back to look at me.

I chose to respond to the mysterious stranger, picking my words carefully. "I'm just… trying to help a friend."

He scraped a whetstone along the bladed edge of the spear. It was a bronze tip, with a black foundation at its core. The shaft had the same ashen streak as the armour, with various metal engravings carved from top to bottom.

"Then your 'friend' is lucky to have you." He scraped the blade of his spear, again. "An interesting game you have. A playful way to recreate war… but you did not answer my question before. Are you lost?"

"I… don't–"

"Yes you do." The scraping of his blade became more intense.

I touched the bracer on my wrist as the air around me became unsettling. There was still silence, other than the noise of the stone drifting across the metal.

"We tend to find ourselves with the things we hold close or the people we hold dear," he said, "without them, where are we?"

As I listened to him speak, everything about him felt almost unnatural in a way, like a ghost. He was still and calm, and yet that frightened me.

For the first time he had stopped sharpening his spear, which made me flinch. I started to hear voices in the distance and soon galloping which I hadn't noticed at first because I was too focused on the man in front of me.

"You better get going. The old man's coming," he said to my surprise.

Did he know Chiron?

"Who are you?" I asked.

The figure stood up, spear in hand as he placed the helmet on his head. He was taller than I imagined. Unlike the rest of us, he was wearing a full set of the dark greek armour, not just the breastplate. The skirt, connected to the torso, cut just above the knees as the greaves protected the entirety of the shin.

The galloping sounded closer.

"I am like you..." He turned his head slightly, his face encased in the coverage of his helmet. "...lost."

Something then crashed through the bushes next to me with speed, causing me to jump.

"Arthur!" Chiron called out. "I heard you shouting, what happened?"

I turned back to the log where the figure was sitting. He was no longer there.

Oh, this just keeps getting better and better… who was that guy!?

I suddenly remembered about the boy I left. I told Chiron of the situation as quickly as I could, and led him back to where the boy was. When we got there, he was still crying, saying the same things over and over again. Chiron took the time to inspect him, asking him questions, calling his name (which I found out was George) and trying to bring him back to his senses somehow but the boy didn't stop shaking. The centaur cursed to himself and asked me to help him pick the boy up and onto his back.

"Thank you, Arthur," he said, a look of worry struck on his face. "I will see what I can do."

"Is he going to be alright?" I asked. I felt bad for him. I saw fear in his eyes that nobody should have to experience.

"Don't worry. George is tougher than he looks." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "You did well, Mr Pride. Now return to your teammates. And speak nothing of this."

There it was again. Chiron's ability to switch his tone to emphasise caution.

I nodded and watched him take off, going faster than I had ever seen him before. I picked up my spear and wasted no time on returning to the battlefield. My head was spinning.

What the fuck just happened?

I expected D to correct my language as he always does but for once he didn't.

What happened to George? Why was he like that? Is it something to do with the nightmares? He mentioned the Battle of Manhattan right? And who in the fu– frick was that black-armoured stranger? What was he doing out here all alone? What did he mean when he said I was lost?

I tried to focus back on the game but there was so much more going on right now and my head just loves going in circles. I finally started to hear the screams and shouting coming from the battle.

I hope I wasn't gone for too long.

As I started to near the sounds of my fellow campers fighting, I quickly realised that they were cheering. I begged my legs to move a little faster. Once I got there, I was confronted with a harsh image before me.

All of the Red team had dropped their weapons and stood, shoulders slumped as the Blue team raised their weapons in pure ecstasy. Clarisse and Sherman looked like they were ready to blow their heads off whilst Will simply accepted it. Flip and Val had stopped fighting though it wasn't clear who was the winner. Emile leaned on his crossbow, out of breath surrounded by multiple unconscious and bruised demigods. Annabeth stood arms crossed, smiling as if this was of no surprise to her. Travis and Connor both held the red flag and hoisted it into the air, laughing for all to see.

We lost…

…shit.